1
The U S. perception and attitude towards
the “Constitutionalization” of
the EU Common Foreign and Security Policy
Joaquín Roy
University of Miami
Optimistic observers and diplomats on both sides of the Atlantic expressed their
satisfaction for the reassuring results achieved by the debut of Secretary of State
Condoleezza Rice during her heavily choreographed ten-stop trip to the Middle East and
Europe in early February 2005. This was simply in preparation for the even more
important visit by President Bush (right after his second inauguration) to the symbolic
cities of Brussels, Mainz and Bratislava. In contrast to the president’s previous approach
to refrain from making any references to the European Union in speeches since
September 11, 2001 --with the exception of one isolated remark made in his second
inaugural address--, Rice mentioned the EU three times in her lecture in Paris. It was a
fitting prelude for her endorsement of a more united Europe in her visit to Brussels where
she met with the “who is who” of the EU. New Secretary of Commerce Carlos Gutiérrez
also made his first international trip to Brussels. As a consequence, high expectations
were set for Bush’s historical trip to Europe and the first ever of a U.S. president to the
EU institutions. However, as is a well-known fact, the background circumstances of U.S.European relations were a little cloudier and left much room for improvement.1

Paper presented at the panel on “The Constitutionalization of the EU Common Foreign and Defense
Policy” at the biannual meeting of the European Union Studies Association held in Austin, Texas, on
March 30-April 2, 2005. My gratitude is extended to Wolfgang Wessels for the invitation, to Eloïsa
Vladescu for reorganizing the bibliographical sources, to Aimee Kanner for editing portions of the
manuscript and to Ambler Moss for some reading and content suggestions.

Joaquín Roy (Lic. Law, University of Barcelona, 1996; Ph.D, Georgetown University, 1973), is Jean
Monnet Professor of European Integration, Director of University of Miami European Union Center and CoDirector of the Miami European Union Center. He has published over 200 academic articles and reviews, and
he is the author , editor, or co-editor of 25 books, among them The Reconstruction of Central America: the Role
of the European Community (North-South Center, 1991), The Ibero-American Space/ El Espacio
Iberoamericano (U.Miami/University of Barcelona, 1996), Cuba, the U.S. and the Helms-Burton Doctrine:
International Reactions (University of Florida Press, 2000), Las relaciones exteriores de la Unión Europea
(México: UNAM, 2001), Retos de la integración regional: Europa y América (México: UNAM, 2003), and La
Unión Europea y el TLCAN (México: UNAM, 2004). He has also published over 1,200 columns and essays in
newspapers and magazines. Among his awards is the Encomienda of the Order of Merit bestowed by King
Juan Carlos of Spain.
1
See commentaries by Dowd, Hollinger, Sciolino, Strobel, Weisman and Wright, as well as notes by
Financial Times.
2
Still, the immediate results of the trip were translated into high hopes of a meeting
of the minds. On the one hand, the overtures made by President Bush and his calls for
cooperation in the sensitive areas that caused the divorce between the United States and
Europe were politely answered by European leaders eager to diminish the tensions. On
the other hand, closer cooperation based on a mutual attitude would enhance the chances
of a stronger and more assertive foreign and security policy run by the Europeans. The
optimistic resulting scenario is that this new atmosphere would benefit both sides.2
Once the novelty of the summits disappeared, however, reality set in. It outlined
the background of a well-entrenched posture of the United States towards an autonomous
EU foreign and security mechanism. Significantly, this critical U.S. perception of a
stronger EU capability is not exclusive to the entourage of President George W. Bush.
Neither is it solely identified with the political developments derived from the attacks of
September 11, 2001. In fact, U.S. apprehension and opposition to the EU’s autonomous
foreign profile has been forming for decades; it became prominent after the Cold War,
and has been reinforced by the drastic turn of events of the last three years.
Trends and findings
Enough available evidence contributes to a tentative assessment of a negative,
critical, adversarial U.S. attitude towards a more assertive, strong, integrated Europe.
Factual proof shows that the influential political and economic establishment that
controls the most sensitive decision-making mechanisms in the United States today
(Congress, the White House, the Departments of Defense and State) consider the move
towards a deeper and supranational, and explicitly “constitutionalized” EU foreign
policy, as erroneous, shaky, costly, and even threatening. They also judge that this project
is implemented not only in competition with the interests of the United States but also in
a directly disloyal hostility.3
While it is anchored on systematic selective research, this paper is derived from
an intuitional perspective. It cannot be construed as purely neutral or unbiased. The
commentaries included and the analysis provided are heavily influenced by a concern
towards a current situation and trend that have all the alarming signals that the future may
be detrimental to the trans-Atlantic relationship. The content of the paper is also dictated
by a feeling that the damage caused to the national interest of the United States has been
notably serious and will continue to worsen. In sum, the spirit of the research and
consideration undertaken revolves around a confluence of personal perception reinforced
by evidential documentation.4
With a minimum of recent historical perspective, there is enough evidence of a
mild déjà vu. An influential sector of the U.S. leadership, confirmed after the November
2004 reelection of George W. Bush, is experiencing nowadays the same feeling as at the
2
See comments and reports by Bosworth, Bumiller, Dempsey, Dombey, Freedman, Froomkin, Harding,
Hunt, Hutcheson, Munchau, Peel, and Stephens, the special column by Donald Rumsfeld, and the two
commentaries of The Financial Times on February 15 and 22.
3
See articles by Cimbalo and Savodnik.
4
For a sample of my recent columns, see my two notes in The Miami Herald and El Nuevo Herald.
3
beginning of the deepening process of the EU that led to the implementation of the
Maastricht Treaty and the adoption of the euro as the common currency of twelve
countries. This symptom became obvious during the trips Condoleezza Rice and
President Bush.
At the beginning of the 90s, Washington did not take these EU trends and
movements too seriously. It was believed that both (transforming the EC into the EU, and
the adoption of the euro) would fail. The most that the U.S. establishment was ready to
accept was that the European experiment would be at least as slow as the painful
evolution of the Common Market from the late 50s to the mid 80s. The Europeans would
be incapable of getting their act together, was the prediction made.
Once the reality of the cohesiveness of the still imperfect three pillars (apparently
a British invention, destined to officially vanish with the approval of the new
Constitution) and the efficacy of the euro became evident, this leading sector in the
United States proceeded in a fast forward motion to catch up with evolving events. The
analysts and observers that warned much earlier in the 90s about the seriousness of the
European process were vindicated. “I told you so”, was the common expression.
September 11 caught Washington flatfooted in many dimensions, particularly
military and intelligence matters. However, it did not surprise the White House or the
Pentagon in their ideological perspectives. In spite of what could be expected, the new
design, as expressed in successive declarations of President Bush and his advisers, was
solidly grounded on a U.S. cohesive fundamental doctrine that can be traced back not
only to the Kennan memorandum of 1947 but also to the Monroe Doctrine of 1823, the
founding perspective of a global strategy. By a combination of factors and beliefs, the
rise of the European process and its deepening, simultaneously with its unstoppable
widening, the EU began to be the target of uneasiness first, then of preoccupation and
animosity, and finally of fear.
The euro ceased to be the object of badly-intentioned op-ed pieces and think tank
analysis as a potential source for the resurgence of European confrontations and even
wars. Then it became a well-identified enemy, labeled as the cause of the fall of the value
of the dollar. The fact that the exchange rate trend does not reflect an alleged strength of
the European economy and an alleged weakness of the U.S. performance does not stop
pundits and casual observers from blaming Europe.
Paradoxically, the U.S. pressure of past decades for burden sharing in defense
spending has given way to a protest call for what appears to be a serious theoretical
design of a real common foreign and security policy. Europeans are humorously
confused: for years Americans insisted on the Kissinger question for the telephone of
Europe. The EU first responded with the creation of the position of High Representative
of the Common Foreign and Security Policy, a post entrusted to Javier Solana, who was
drafted out of his job as NATO’s Secretary General. Now the EU seems to be posed for a
serious development of a foreign policy, not limited to a phone line. Washington is not
happy.
Deepening into a more historical perspective, the contrast with today’s U.S.
attitude and the satisfaction of being present at the creation of the European Community
is starkly different. The initial encouragement of U.S. leaders in the 50s and 60s (such as
Eisenhower and Kennedy) for the process of European integration, as a mechanism
4
complementary to NATO, has been transformed today into an erratic, contradictory, and
aggressive policy of what was called almost officially “disaggregation”.
The historical opportunity of ending the artificial European division caused by the
reapportionment of War World II by proceeding to execute an act of political justice with
the ambitious and costly enlargement of the EU, has been turned upside down by
Washington. It has been used and manipulated by the U.S. leadership, most significantly
since September 11 and especially since the split of European attitudes towards the Iraqi
adventure. The “new Europe” invented by Donald Rumsfeld has been labeled as a sort of
dissidence movement opposed to Brussels, following the cues of the White House.
The highly sensitive issue of the future membership of Turkey was erratically and
undiplomatically converted into a weapon of pressure brandished by the Departments of
Defense and State at the worst time. Not only was the issue raised at the height of the Iraq
war controversy, but also during the last leg of the final months of the evaluations of the
credentials of Turkey for EU membership. The wrong timing and the lack of diplomacy
met the stern reply of Brussels and some key European capitals. Commentaries included
comparative references to a potential membership of Cuba in NAFTA. The mildest of the
responses were reduced to remind Washington that the United States was not a member
of the European Union.
Significantly, a pattern of insistence on recommending membership in the EU
reappeared in late 2004 when the Ukraine went through convulsion caused by the
fraudulent presidential elections. From a status of obscurity, condemned to a long
existence between Russia and the European Union borders, Ukrainian membership in the
EU was energetically advocated by U.S. officials. Commentaries in Brussels and other
European power circles were this time more restrained, among other reasons because the
U.S. peddling was in a way a recognition of the usefulness of the security and economic
advantages of EU belonging.
In the months before, the scandalous lack of any reference to the EU in any
fundamental declarations or speeches by President Bush since September 11 has been
only a confirmation of the fundamental distrust not only of multilateral schemes of
integration and cooperation, but especially of treaties and organizations to which the
United States does not belong. This does not mean, however, that President Bush has
demonstrated ease in settings such as the United Nations or even the World Trade
Organization. This ambivalence was amply demonstrated by his early death-blow to
NATO when he disregarded the urgent and unconditional support on September 13 after
its historical activation of Art. 5.
This fact contrasts with the energetic admonition against an autonomous foreign
and defense policy for the EU, reacting to the suggestion made by German Chancellor
Schroeder in looking for additional forums to deal with European security. Bush insisted
that NATO is the only valid setting.
The insertion of the NATO issue in discussing the development of an autonomous
EU foreign and defense policy contributes a concrete anchoring for the negative
assessment of the European design. Far from vague declarations and covering domestic
interests of dominance, when opposing “constitutionalization”, a victim is seen as
unnecessary collateral damage: NATO. All the historical background and
accomplishments of the organization, in addition to its current capabilities, are used in
rationalizing against the development of an independent defense and security mechanism
5
for Europe. As we will see later on in this paper, this strategy misses several historical
points and sanitizes the rather pragmatic principles of the Alliance, some of them not
only respond to innate modes and patterns of U.S. foreign policy, but also reflect
important chapters of foreign policy practices.
In essence, before and after Bush’s trip, the reality is that too many dimensions of
the new EU seem to be considered detrimental for U.S. national interests. The attitude
sometimes seems as an adoption of a perennial zero sum calculation. If the EU wins
something and makes some progress, this must be at the cost of a U.S. vital interest. In
popular terms, the rephrasing of Calvin Coolidge’s statement has received a new shape
and tone: “What is good for the EU, is not good for the United States.”
Among the potential explanations for this composite assessment is the
reinforcement of the perennial exceptionalism doctrine that has propelled the United
States to world dominance and self-assurance, as well as justification for actions that
objectively should be contrary to some well-founded beliefs of the Republic.5
This fundamental feeling leads to the obsessive resistance to any kind of
supranational entity that is above the solid grounds of the institutional framework of the
United States. What is a quasi-divine belief and inspiration that can be easily understood
in domestic terms is apparently usually transferred to experiments implemented beyond
its borders. This influential political and military leadership seems to be unable to
consider submitting to a commonly pooled sovereignty of even small portions of the
economy. This denial makes processes such as the FTAA or even an enhanced NAFTA
(called now NAFTA-plus) an impossibility or a very imperfect arrangement. It also leads
to transfer the same logic to organizations and pacts to which the United States does not
belong, a behavior that as a result irritates foreign dignitaries.
The complexity of entities such as the EU and the whole European fabric in terms
of history, politics, economics, intellectual evolution and societal intricacies, is often
reduced to oversimplification that makes the prospect of cooperation and a true alliance a
doubtful success. It is a rather ironic twist, but the current scene reveals odd dimensions.
From paradigms in which Americans were liberal and democratic, while Europeans were
religious fundamentalists and intolerants, we have been confronted today with one-liners
depicting Europeans descending from Venus and Americans from Mars.
Nonetheless, serious consideration is given to the notion that the rift and the gap
across the Atlantic are not only permanent, but are even wider in terms of distance
between the two parts, and deeper with respect to fundamental issues. This diagnosis has
been shared by a growing number of observers and scholars, in spite of the self-evident
common roots and values shared by the United States and Europe, and the surviving
validity of the concept of the West, a concept that has led conspicuous observers to ask if
it really exists anymore.6
Among the signals that confirm a trend that seems to be chronic is the paradoxical
fact of the continued stream of commentaries in the main media and think-tank
5
6
As a sample of U.S. alarming analysis on this historical trend, see comment by Moss.
For a selection of works on the trans-Atlantic relationship and recommendations to improve it, see:
Albright, Burghardt, Chalmers, Daalder, Drozdiak, Cohen, Judt, Kennedy, Lambert, Markovits, Moïsi,
Moravsik, Roger, and Voigt.
6
publications recommending leaders to take urgent action on both sides of the Atlantic
Ocean.7 Most interesting is the recent campaign of alarming warnings made by keen
American observers to the extent that the apparent divorce between an important part of
Europe and the United States is actually detrimental to U.S. interests. Polite silence seems
to be a consensus in non-elite circles.
Popular wisdom is that the United States has not caused the damage. Applying
this logic to the specific issue of the role and purposes of the EU, the stark reality is that
for the U.S. public outside the Washington beltway and the scholarly community, the EU
is either unknown or plainly an adversary. This feeling makes congressional attitudes
very difficult and risky, depending on feelings coming from the voters. In consequence, a
populist tactic applied at a given moment (free trade, subsidies, tariffs, sanctions) is the
outcome most expected.
Disagreements on concrete and specific issues in trade, subsidies, and legal
controversies are seen simply as the limited tip of the iceberg of a more profound divorce
regarding a basic stance towards a handful of themes that acquire a more defined profile
when codified in the text of the Constitutional Treaty. Kyoto, China arms sales, BoeingAirbus government aid, Microsoft, extraterritorial laws, bananas, etc., are, in comparison,
minute. In fact, they only represent a small percentage (not even 10%) of economic links
in which Europe and the United States have disagreements. In most of the other 90% of
economic issues, the United States and Europe are in full synchronization.
The rift is, therefore, more philosophical and, let’s say it, ideological. Even the
frequent joint declarations (sometimes co-signed by important political figures at the
highest levels) claiming a basic agreement on a global strategy against the scourge of
terrorism seem to reflect a sense of a shaky alliance ready to break.8
The blunt language sometimes used by specialists, as well as the refusal of U.S.
government officials to correct misinterpretations or soften statements in a more
diplomatic mode, plus the fact that envoys do not seem to restrain themselves from
making negative remarks about the fundamental concepts of the European Union; all
indicate a reflection of a mood that is entrenched at the high levels of officialdom. In
reverse, frequent declarations of EU officials in Washington in expressing contrary views
to the U.S. policy in Iraq, have been a new trend that contrasts with the usual bland
discourse used by the opaque EU institutions.
Media phenomena that usually could simply be attributed to carelessness or lack
of information seem to be part of the overall scenario. Too many in number and too often
placed in key times, a dripping of inaccurate and plainly aggressive informative articles
appear regularly on issues of the European Union. This only contributes to confuse the
general public, leaving scholars that form a well-prepared minority in U.S. universities
and think tanks bewildered and consumed by a sense of damage-control.9
As mentioned above in general terms, behind the resistance, ignorance, or
episodic information about EU foreign policy is an acute popular black hole about its
7
As an example of think tanks analysis, see works by the Center for Strategic and International Studies
researchers Balis, Niblet, and Serfaty.
8
See collective declaration headed by Giscard.
9
Analyses by Asmus, Howorth and Wolf.
7
fundamental nature. Obsession with the notion of free trade as a means and as an
objective of the original process of European integration is still a formidable ballast that
places an obstacle for the true comprehension of the EU. “To make war unthinkable and
materially impossible” is a thought that never crosses the minds of educated Americans
when polled about the aims of the EU. Admittedly, this shortcoming is shared by younger
generations in Europe for which the memory of war is only a distant historical reference.
This fact discourages leaders from explaining realities that are far away from the minds
of voters for whom the experience of wars are reduced to historical accounts spanning in
the distance of a century and a half, mostly expeditionary actions, and the recent new
trends of terrorists attacks reduced to the events of September 11. When free from total
ignorance, Americans only seem to comprehend the EU as a mechanism to compete with
the United States in an adversarial manner. Even the most aware leadership would not
find it convenient and electorally profitable to counteract this notion.
Means to oppose
Once this assessment is set, observers should ask about what ways the present
U.S. leadership and allies elect to zap the process of a deeper EU integration and more
especially its project of an autonomous foreign and security policy. There are many and
varied in scope and mechanisms. Some are blunt and open; others are covert and discreet.
The usual procedure is the perennial Roman maxim of divide and conquer. It was
used heavily during months leading to the war on Iraq, and it was helped by a cadre of
European governments and individuals who expressed publicly their support for Bush,
making any cohesive European front an impossibility, or at least a very difficult task.
This sector coincides in identity with the governments of countries that showed a deeper
reluctance to accept the reformed voting system in the Council, from a weighted vote in
the Treaty of Nice to the double majority (55% of countries and 65% of the population)
combination in the Constitution. Even today, some protagonists of the pro-Bush camp in
the dangerous months that led to the Iraq war who subsequently lost power are still
executing a campaign that has as a limited result the endemic division of the European
front.10
Partially as a reward for the lack of support in the Iraq war, reinforced by the
easily detectable inclination to Kerry in the election, the Bush forces had initially
intended to retaliate against the notoriously critical colleagues. Sidelining any real or
potential EU lineup, Condoleezza Rice, while still acting as National Security adviser to
President Bush, was widely quoted as allegedly recommending to “ignore Germany,
forgive Russia, and punish France”. Under the pressure to obtain the necessary backing
for a refreshed policy during the second presidential term, Bush apparently decided to
retract. Preliminary circumstantial evidence derived from the trip to Belgium, Germany
10
The most obvious is the former Prime Minister of Spain José María Aznar. See my paper
entitled “Spain’s Return to ‘Old Europe’ “.
8
and Slovakia leads to think that Bush had decided to give due attention to Germany, half
way forgive France, warn Russia, and… punish Spain.
It is too early to see how far this strategy will be implemented by Condoleezza
Rice, once she is completely settled in Foggy Bottom. What remains in place is the
philosophical principle of avoiding entanglement in multilevel negotiations and
maneuvering through intricacies of supranationality even of a modest scale.
Rigorous scholarship will show anytime that picking favorite agents to undermine
the efforts of a common strategy has been a trademark of U.S. foreign policy in the past,
not limited to a geographical area. History reveals that Washington likes to work with
anchors in which to set the regional tone and allows the subsidiary country to become an
axis for the rest of the countries in a given region. In the trans-Atlantic scene, this pivotal
role has always had a permanent member: the United Kingdom. The special relationship
between the United States and Britain has made it very easy for Washington to justify a
natural alliance, something that only conveniences of modern times have made possible
to enter into agreements with other odd countries.
For example, Germany has been an adversary in two world wars. France has been
a historical competitor for dominance, although it has been a claimant for the role of a
perennial ally, even though the fact that the real motivation has been competition with
Britain. Smaller actors also fit this picture, such as the case of Spain, an adversary in in
the Spanish-American War of 1898, a neutral in World War I, an initial backer of Hitler
and Mussolini (while ruled by Franco), and finally an ally in exchange for consolidating
the Southern flank during the Cold War, and at the price of extending the dictatorship
until the end of the life of the Generalissimo.
Those observers expressing critical views on the constitutional process for an
autonomous defense policy of the EU seem to enjoy concentrating on the low record of
approval of certain deepening measures of the EU, the out flat rejection in referendums,
or the prediction that if put to a vote, they would be rejected.
Media inclined to support the Republican interests, led by The Wall Street Journal
in the print sector and by FOX News in television, will usually find a way to critique the
project of a common autonomous defense on grounds that it is duplication that lacks
effective means. Moreover, commentaries will stress the aloofness of individual critical
governments such as France and Germany, identifying the loyalty of the UK, in stark
contrast with others belonging to “Old Europe”.
When reporting or venturing opinion, either in short op-ed pieces or in rather
more elaborate and longer essays published in the well-established leading foreign policy
magazines, American observers too often misrepresent European intentions and legal
realities or offer a distorted profile of mechanisms and purposes. This assessment has
caught the eye of notable U.S. commentators who have acted as firefighters, denouncing
the danger of a self-inflicted wound making trend.
The U.S. government has been increasing its insistence on Turkish membership in
the European Union and has already started its “campaign” for a closer cooperation
between the EU and the Ukraine, aiming at full membership some day. Ironically, the
explicit basic argument for both campaigns is shared by the European leadership,
including the sectors that are opposed to the entrance of Ankara, on grounds of
differences in culture and geography. All seem to agree that membership in the EU
consolidates democracy and the rule of law, and in both cases the inclusion of both
9
countries will avoid their drifting to the murky waters of the Middle East and the
nostalgia of a Russian-dominated Soviet Union. The cost of the success of what is called
the unmatched “power of injunction” of the EU is the eventual distraction of the energies
of the entity in facing the costly enlargement. An autonomous defense will have to come
at the expense of other areas of the EU assistance, either in the “neighborhood” or in
distant regions. Prospects of membership of Turkey and Ukraine, in addition to the
unstoppable but slow inclusion some day of the former Yugoslavia republics, will
definitely take a toll on the plans for a common autonomous defense.
The Nato Syndrome
In an example of utterly double standards, the logic of “coalition of the willing“
seems not to be easily accepted by Washington when it is applied by the Europeans when
forming entities such as the Eurocorps (a very useful mechanism that could have been
used more often to contribute to peace making and maintenance). The project of forging
mini-alliances within the framework of the Constitution touches a nerve in the White
House and Pentagon circles, under the pretense that NATO would be undermined
because the same units belong to the two twin sets of military mechanisms. Ironically, the
project to develop an autonomous EU foreign and defense policy is seen simultaneously
as an enhancement of NATO, a threat to the organization, or simply irrelevant. It is
obvious that it cannot be the three at the same time.11
Most American observers beyond the elite circles paid less attention to a
coincidence that had significant political importance. While President Bush’s Air Force
One was flying on February 20 to Europe, Iberia was executing the Spanish referendum
to ratify the European Constitution. Simultaneously, the Portuguese elected the new
Social Democratic government, with a first absolute majority since the rebirth of
Portugal’s democracy in 1974, as a result of the Carnation Revolution.
In addition to the improvement of President Bush’s comprehension of the
institutional framework of the EU, it is significant his insistence on reminding his
European counterparts of the historical record of NATO given to European “democracy
and liberty”. In consequence, he insisted on the necessity of continuing the pivotal role of
NATO as a forum for the security relationship between the United States and Europe.
German Chancellor Schroeder had earlier reminded him of the existence of other
mechanisms, notably the EU.
On the one hand, Bush probably knows that European members of NATO behave
differently in the setting of the EU. Without the protection of the veto power or the
overbearing presence of the United States, the need to obtain unanimity in the Council
when dealing with pillar II and III items is softened by the calculation of qualified
majorities when administering the fully pooled sovereignty.
On the other hand, historical rigor advises prudence when systematically
mentioning NATO as a protector of European democracy. NATO was basically founded
“to keep the Germans down, the Americans in, and the Russians out”. It fulfilled its
mission. With Germany reformed, it stopped Soviet expansion without firing a missile.
Truman’s interpretation of Kennan’s containment worked.
11
See comment by Howorth.
10
But NATO also consolidated the dictatorship of Oliveira Salazar in Portugal (a
founding member of the Alliance in 1949). It never raised an eyebrow when Turkey (a
member along with Greece in 1952) was under the influence of its military. And it never
moved a finger when Athens fell under “the dictatorship of the Colonels”.
When Spain survived the coup of February 23, 1981, the government pressed for
membership in NATO. De facto, Spain was already a partner thanks to the agreements
made by Eisenhower and Franco in 1953, with the result of consolidating the
dictatorship. After the rebirth of Spanish democracy in 1975, the Left sent a bill to
Washington, expressing a sentiment that is frequently reinforced by the recent U.S.
unilateralist policy.
In stark contrast to the “flexible” membership requirements in NATO (a sort of
“coalition of the willing”), Greece, Portugal and Spain had to wait to enjoy impeccable
democratic credentials to enter the European Union. This shows the clear difference in
membership conditions, reflecting a deeper philosophical aim. Double standards do not
work in Brussels.
Positive signs
In spite of the difficulties and endemic U.S. resistance to an autonomous EU
foreign policy, certain positive and hopeful signs can be detected as a base for a mutually
beneficial compromise:

The speeches by Rice and Bush have set a model for friendlier U.S. discourse
with the potential of a positive European response.

Naming of a security attaché to the EU signals a reinforcement of the attention of
the U.S. government for the reinvigorated role of the EU institutional framework

Calls by U.S. columnists and experts have been stressing the need to pay more
attention to an assertive role of the EU.

Influential European scholars and journalists publishing in Europe’s newspapers
and magazines with a wide circulation in the United States, or even with special
editions that seem to have the U.S. reader very much in mind (which is the case of
The Financial Times, and to a lesser extend The Economist) have insisted with
similar recommendations.

The U.S. government and independent analysts have admitted the logistical
limitations of the United States in meeting the demands of the consolidation of
democracy in Iraq, at the same time as addressing other threats.

Mild personal conversions in attitudes point out to a reformatting of the U.S.
policy and stubborn resistance to EU autonomy.
11
Darker signals
On the negative side, ominous signs keep acting to reinforce the resistance towards
recognizing the validity of an autonomous EU foreign policy. Among the signs and
evidence are the following:

U.S. public opinion and government circles are under the frequent influence of
what we may call “doomsday papers”. These are documents produced by think
tanks and self-appointed commissions, offering a predictable scenario in 10 or 20
years. With no way to back assertions made, these papers present a picture of a
consolidated EU in economic terms and as a total failure in terms of political
integration.

Deep personal convictions (bordering divine revelation) dominating the minds of
the central U.S. leadership continues to exert considerable influence in formatting
the official attitude towards the EU. Perceived EU weakness in meeting the
demands of the war on terrorism is translated into adamant intolerance and
consequently opposition for schemes that are perceived as repetitious and
ineffective.

During the second term of President, there will be less restraint for counteracting
what is perceived as a wrong policy emanating from Europe. With no pressure for
reelection, priorities may be defined in an even more narrow sense.

Consistent anti-EU campaign performed in part of the influential media
(especially The Wall Street Journal) shows no signs of moderation.

Alternating negative assessments of the EU’s external policy and defense
capabilities in the elite foreign affairs publications with counter arguments will
continue to reinforce doubts and will invite second thoughts in the Washington
political and strategic establishment.

Deep in the heart of America, ignorance and then apprehension for the EU will
feed arguments to members of Congress weary of the sentiments of their
constituencies. Resistance to free trade (not only related to agreements with Latin
America) is frequently identified with an image of the EU as protectionist and an
economic competitor of the United States. An autonomous foreign policy only
contributes to reinforce this stereotype.
Conclusion
The U.S. perception of an autonomous foreign, security and defense policy is
almost at the end of a downward move in a perennial roller coaster cycle. From an
enthusiastic beginning of encouraging European integration and backing it with military
guarantees, the United States descended to a deep sense of disinterest, disdain and then
12
economic concern for what appeared to be the building of “Fortress Europe” in the early
90s. Washington met this challenge with a loyal competitive fashion and contributed to
the construction of other free trade mechanisms designed to protect some spheres of
influence in Latin America and the Pacific. The cloudy atmosphere inaugurating the new
century has given way to a more aggressive attitude to the EU integration process and
especially to the design of a European autonomous defense and security policy.
September 11 and its consequences have exacerbated the self-propelled U.S. mission of
dominating the world after the end of the Cold War.
However, the U.S. leadership today seems to be poised to execute a mild
correction to this trend, forced by the limitations of military and economic power, as well
as by the erosion of world soft power and influence, if not its absolute disappearance. By
recognizing the useful alliance with a stronger EU, the gap over the Atlantic may shrink
considerably. Nonetheless, it will all depend on the depth and substance of the
recognition of an autonomous EU foreign policy awarded by the U.S. leadership, and the
nature of the coordinated missions to be implemented, in substitution for the existing
unilateral strategy of its variance conformed as a coalition of the willing. The recent past
and the idiosyncrasies of the U.S. political culture do not seem to predict a too ambitious
outcome.
Nonetheless, the pressure for an understanding comes from the overwhelming
EU-US trade that flows at all times and with a normal pace without problems, in spite of
disputes and threats of sanctions. At the end of the day, an agreement is found, among
other reasons because a notable two-way investment helps a lot and ends up imposing its
own logic. The two regions are each other's most important partners in trade and
investment, making the economic interests the most significant dimension of the
transatlantic relationship.
A different story is the fact that other remaining issues are not that easy for an
agreement. This is most especially the case of the theme of this paper, foreign and
security policy. Both sides, then, simply have to accept that they have to learn to "agree
to disagree". Both will have to come to terms with the evidence that that this trend and
solution may not be temporary –they will be permanent. The contrast with past times is
that during the Cold War there was a basic agreement regarding the threat and some of
the methods to face it. Now, the situation is different. And this causes an uncomfortable
feeling. But that sensation should mean that it is catastrophic.
Still, in the event that a successful and pragmatic meeting of the minds is
developed between the U.S. and European leaderships, observers may be tempted to
believe that the concept of West is still a reality. However, if the electorates at both sides
of the Atlantic continue to exert pressure to favor, on the one hand, an even unilateralist
U.S. policy, distrustful of European initiatives, while on the other hand European votes
back a hardening of defense and security policies, following a more autonomous path,
one may come to the conclusion that the West is not as cohesive as it once was believed
to be. The gap might be as wide as a split of a civilization in two distinct branches that
makes automatic cooperation a dubious enterprise. It all depends not only of the
evolution of popular attitudes, but of effective leadership, political and intellectual, some
commodities that seem today to be short supply.
13
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Joaquín Roy
Jean Monnet Professor
Director, European Union Center
101-301 Ferre Building
University of Miami
Coral Gables, Fl. 33146-3010
Phone: (305)284-3266/ Fax: 305-284-4406
mailto:jroy@miami.edu
http://www.miami.edu/eucenter/